Unshattered
by Jaxrond
Summary: Three human girls, chosen by the Allspark to play key roles in the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, find themselves drawn into the conflict by bonds that were said to be myth. With a newly resurrected Megatron set on revenge, planet Earth hanging in the balance, and a Decepticon traitor among them, the Autobots and their new counterparts must somehow survive the battle.
1. Team Alpha

**Greetings, readers, and welcome to ****_Unshattered_****. I hope that you enjoy the story. It is set in the movie-verse, but incorporates characters and themes from the cartoons, mainly ****_Prime_**** and ****_Armada_****. Please read and review.**

* * *

Cold darkness.

That is all that lies in space. The empty blackness of the vaccum. The eternity of nothingness that threatens to envelope the mind.

Xero had withdrawn deep within herself before the darkness could claim her. Her systems were all but shut down, preserving energy. She did not know for how many stellar cycles she had floated there in space, her armor torn apart by battle wounds. She could vaguely sense her two remaining teammates nearby. She did not want to think about them at the moment. The three of them had committed an atrocious act together, for the sake of their survival. They had drained the last reserves of power from the remains Hotwire and Longshot in order to keep themselves alive. Desecration of their deceased comrades was the only way they had found to live. They had waited for a rescue to come, the solarcycles slipping by one at a time. However, no aid ever came. The Decepticons had done enough work to damage not only their ship, the _Shadowrunner_, but also to knock out any long-range communications they had. Indeed, the time at which they had hoped for a rescue had long since passed, floating into the depths of space along with the wreakage of their ship. With no means of calling for aid, team Alpha was left in the crushing darkness, the endless blackness that is space.

One can see why Xero was surprised then to find that she was receiving a transmission. Out of a vain and feeble hope of rescue, she had left her channel open, waiting for a message that she was sure would never come, waiting for the help that she had given up on. Drowsily, she tuned into her comm channel. To her utter surprise, the transmission was from the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime.

_A summons...to refuge..._Xero forced her processor to once again form coherant thought, _Optimus...I'm sorry...but I don't think..._

_/Hey, Xero.../_ another transmission came through her comm, full of static, _/Was I the only one who picked up that call?/_

Xero managed to pick out the deep rumble of her teammate, Maximus', vocals through the static.

_/No, I received it as well. Dancer?/_ Xero's processor was beginning to warm up.

_/...yeah...me too.../_ Dancer had been powered down the longest and had the most difficulty recovering from stasis.

_/Can you move, Maximus?/_

_/Somewhat./_ the big mech replied.

_/Dancer?/_

_/...with some difficulty./ _Dancer's vocals were still strained.

Xero paused, thinking.

Hotwire's alternate form had been in possession of flying capabilities. If Maximus, the strongest of the suriving three, took those capabilities upon himself, then he could drag them to the coordinates of Prime's message. From what her scanners detected, the coordinates were quite a distance, but it might be doable.

_/Do you think you could use Hotwire's flying abilities, Maximus?/_ Xero asked.

There was a very long pause. None of them were eager to take their former medic apart for recycling.

_/...If I was able...but I don't have enough energy left to fire up that kind of magnetic capability./_

Dancer piped in.

_/The only one who can do that sort of thing is you, Xero./_

Xero was silent. Maximus' strength was only half the reason she had selected him. Maximus was not as emotional as she and was less likely to become upset when using their fallen comrade's parts. He would be able to focus on the necessity of the action, rather than dwell on the fact the he was using peices of Hotwire's body. Xero slowly allowed her optics to come back online and looked over at the offline Hotwire.

The medic was still in the position he had taken in the moments of his death, his digits interlaced with Xero's. His grey, empty optics were still looking at her, his mandibles frozen in that small smile that had endeared the mech to his comrades. Xero felt a great sadness overwhelm her as she looked at him, remembering their last conversation. The last conversation between her and her childhood friend

"_I'm sorry...I can't treat you...Xero..." he choked out, energon and fuel leaking from the fatal __kaumorrhage within his body__, "But...I just can't...seem to...find the energy," he barely squeezed out the last word before a horrid, static cough errupted from him, causing energon to spew from his oral cavity._

_"Don't strain yourself, Hotwire, it's alright. We're all going to make it out of here online," Xero said, almost feverishly, as she reached out and took his servo in hers._

_He looked over at her and smiled._

_"You know...that's what I love about you, Xero. You never," he coughed again before forcing the words through, "You never just give up," he squeezed her servo, "You're going to make it...I know you will. You're strong like that. You've got to make it...and take care of Dancer...otherwise...she'll really catch a nova."_

_Xero could not find it within herself to smile at this attempt at humor. If her optics were capable of leaking lubricant like those of an organic, she knew they would. Hotwire noticed this and weakly stroked his opposor over the back of her servo._

_"Don't be sad for me, Xero...you'll see me again someday...when we're all in the Well of Allsparks," he paused, obviously making an attempt to stay online for as long as possible, "It was an honor serving under you, Xero. You are a great leader."_

_Xero looked away from him, focusing her optics on a faraway star, her spark filling with guilt. Surely she could not be such a great leader. Longshot had been all but torn apart by Lugnut and Breakdown, and Hotwire was slowly shutting down. She had failed. She did not deserve her station as leader of team Alpha. She did not deserve to lead. Hotwire suddenly jerked on her servo._

_"This is not your fault!" he burst out, almost angrily._

_Xero looked at him, surprised. Howire glared back at her with alarming intensity._

_"Don't you go blaming yourself for this!"_

_Xero stared at him with wide optics._

_"But..."_

_"No buts. I shouldn't have taken on Blitzwing by myself. I'm a medic, not a Front Liner. Besides, they caught by surprise."_

_There was a small silence. Xero's sensors picked up that Hotwire was slowly shutting down. The medic exhaled exhaust in the equivalent of a sigh before his faceplates moved in a wince._

_"I'll...miss you, Hotwire," Xero whispered in a rare display of emotion._

_Hotwire smiled at her, his last smile, and squeezed her servo again._

_"I'll miss you too, Xero. Good luck. I know you'll do well. Tell the others...goodbye..." _

_With that, his optics flickered and finally went out. Xero's sensors indicated that he had finally shut down._

Another transmission from Maximus cut off her memory.

_/Xero, we need to come to a decision. You're our commander. What are your orders?/_

Xero did not take her optics off Hotwire's faceplate. There was another moment of silence in which she could sense her two remaining comrades waiting in anticipation.

_/It's the only way we can answer Prime's call. I'll do it./_

She gazed at Hotwire for a moment more.

_/Hotwire would want this,/ _Dancer said quietly, _/He'd want to be of any help that he could. He would have given his parts to us and told us to leave him if he was still alive./_

Xero knew that she was right. Hotwire's smile seemed to say the exact same thing, encouraging her to go on. Fixing her resolve firmly in her spark, Xero poured her stored energy into building a magnetic field. The horrible shriek of metal and gears being wrenched apart reached her through the silent emptiness. Hotwire's wings and necessary flying instruments were torn from his body and attached onto hers. Xero gritted her mandenta in pain as the foreign parts were fixed to her. Cybertronian characters flashed across her vision.

_/Warning! Warning! Unfamiliar modifications detected!/_

Xero began attempting to force her body to accept the modifications. Slowly, the characters changed from warnings to information about weight distribution and the rerouting of wires. Xero heaved a groan as everything finally clicked into place.

_/Xero! Are you alright?/_ Dancer cried.

_/Yes. I'm fine./_

Xero experimentally rolled her shoulders. The new wingstruts creaked as she became used to the added weight upon her back.

_/Preparing to transform, stand by,/_ she told the other two.

Her data banks scanned through Hotwire's form of a Cybertronian jet and her own form of a landbound vehical before coming up with the combined form of a large troop carrier. This new form would enable her to carry at least one other cybertronian in vehicle mode. Dancer was the most likely candidate due to her current state. Maximus rumbled approvingly.

_/Carry Dancer. You can tow me./_

_/Agreed./_

Xero began to transform. The natural action was made unnatural by her added parts. Gears spun and whirred as she collapsed inwardly in some places and folded outward in others. After a few painful minutes, she floated in space in her new form. Xero fired up her thrusters and glided to where Dancer floated, in the midst of transforming into her small landbound vehical mode. After transforming, she used her boostered engine to propell herself into the open hanger in Xero's underside. Xero slid the hanger door shut. She winced as a cable was attached to her, courtesy of Maximus. He reeled himself in until the top of his vehical form bumped against her underside, rattling the hanger doors slightly.

_/Let's move, Xero./_

Xero threw her energy into her thrusters. Casting one last look at Hotwire's now naked form and that of Longshot, floating not far away, she blasted off into the distance of space.


	2. The Three

Jaquline Smith roared down the highway on her motorcycle, her face hidden by her black helmet. She loved the feeling of the wind tearing at her body and the rumble of the motor beneath her. She let out a whoop as she came upon a curve in the road. She leaned dangerously to the side, putting on a burst of speed that would have made any mother gasp in fright. Once around, she righted herself, grinning under her helmet.

There was a sudden crackle of static from the headset within her helmet.

"_Jackie...you're cheating_," her brother, Ryan's, voice came through.

Jackie laughed.

"_I am not! You're just not taking this race seriously_."

She glanced back to see her brother's red motercycle a few yards behind. He shook his fist at her, but she knew that he was smiling within his own helmet. She grinned in return and mimed blowing him a kiss before returning her attention to the road and gunning her engine.

"_Catch me if you can, big brother_."

Ryan laughed and shot after her.

* * *

Elizabeth Woods narrowed her eyes, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she used a wrench to tighten a bolt on an engine part. Her t-shirt and torn jeans were stained with grime and grease despite the equally stained apron she wore over them. Her blond waves were contained in a hairtie that did not match her attire and covered with a kercheif, which was just as besmirched as her clothing. She was in the process of taking apart her car's engine, cleaning it, and putting it back together. When asked why she would do such a thing, the most likely answer she would give was a shrug and the reply that she was bored.

Pop music blared from a radio perched precariously on the edge of her cluttered worktable. Elizabeth absentmindedly mouthed along with the current song as she connected two parts of the engine with expert fingers.

The rumble of a large vehical alerted her to her father's return from work. The rumbling stopped and a car door creaked open before slamming shut a few seconds later.

"Liz! You in the garage?" her father called.

"Yeah!" she yelled back.

Dean Woods tromped into the garage wearing his worn work boots, coming home from a long day at the local mechanic's shop. He also wore torn jeans and a stained shirt. Shaggy hair spilled out from underneath a kercheif of his own. A brown gotee covered the area around his mouth before crawling up his jaw to his hair.

"Cleaning the engine again?"

"Uh-huh."

He kissed the top of his daughter's head as he walked past.

"Keep up the good work, darlin'."

Dean left his boots at the door before crossing the threshold into the kitchen. Elizabeth looked after him for a moment before turning back to her work, knowing that she would need to go help her father with dinner soon. She smiled slightly. That man really was hopeless with a stove.

* * *

Rachel Keller stood over a lab table, a pair of protective gloves fit snugly over her hands. A set of plastic goggles replaced her glasses over her eyes and a mask covered her mouth. Her dark hair was contained within a white plastic cap to keep it from interfering with her experiment. She gingerly retrieved a pair of tweezers from a tray of instruments, holding them between her gloved fingers. Before her, on the disinfected table, was a rock. Not just any rock, but a peice of an alien artifact. The same artifact, she was sure, that had been the cause of the Mission City conflict. Despite the government's attempt to cover it up, there had obviously been some sort of battle that took place there. She wanted to find out why this rock had been worth the devastation. Her hands were quite steady, despite the anxiety and excitement that was running through her. She carefully touched the rock with the sharp edge of her tweezers. A small wave of blue light issued from the point where the tweezers touched, circling the entire fragment.

Rachel gasped and drew her hand back.

This thing was definately not earthly. She hesitantly poked at it again, receiving the same results. She stared at it for a moment, deciding on her next course of action. Tentively, she gripped the shard with the tweezers and raised it to eye level. After the initial light wave from the contact points, the rock continued to appear as it had on the tray. Rachel turned it one way and then another, examining it on all sides. On impulse, she reached out and touched the tip, wondering what would happen when her finger came into contact with it.

Inexplicably, the sharp tip peirced her glove and punctured her fingertip. She withdrew her finger immedietely with a small exclamation. A strange, almost burning sensation ran from her fingertip, into her hand and up her arm before ceasing. Rachel stood, frozen for a moment. Then she placed the rock back on the tray and went to clean the small cut, wary of strange pathogens.

The Allspark waited for her return.


	3. Crash Landing

Optimus Prime walked into the communications room of the new Autobot base. Ratchet had called him over the com link after picking up three energy readings that were rapidly nearing earth's atmosphere. Ratchet himself stood before one of the huge monitors within the communications room, tracking the progress of the readings. The monitor's screen displayed the earth and the three red dots hurtling toward it. Ratchet heard his leader's entrance and turned from the monitor.

"Ah, Optimus," he stepped back, allowing Optimus an unimpeded veiw, "I've picked up three energy signals. They appear to be tightly packed together, as if they are hanging onto each other . The speed at which they're moving suggests that they will enter Earth's atmosphere in aproximately four hours, directly over the state of New Mexico," he turned his optics back to the monitor, "Lucky, really. There will not many humans around to witness their landing."

Optimus nodded, his optics fixed on the dots. They were not yet close enough to be identified as Autobot or Decepticon. Those marks on the screen were symbols of both hope and a great anxiety. Hope because they could be new allies. Anxiety because they could be new enemies, threatening to terrorize the human race. Optimus wondered which side they would belong to. Even as he watched, the monitors lit up, indicating that the newcomers were indeed Autobots. Optimus felt the happiest he had been since the battle of Mission City, when Megatron was defeated.

"You and I will retreive them when they land," he told Ratchet, "Ironhide and Bumblebee will stay behind and gaurd the base."

Ratchet nodded before relaying the orders to Ironhide and Bumblebee. Optimus continued watching the monitors. Unbidden, a list of names and faceplates ran through his processor. Who were the newcomers? What three Autbots could be responding now? He shuttered his optics, the list becoming shorter and shorter as he remembered who had died in combat in earlier years. He shook himself of the thought as a sadness began to creep over him. This was to be a time of rejoicing. Three new brothers would join their ranks on Earth. They had much to be thankful for. Still, Optimus could not help the feeling of foreboding that hung around him like a thundercloud. Something was about to happen. Something that would once again change history.

* * *

Xero had managed to throw the last of her energy into a blast that flung them into Earth's gravity sphere. Then she went somewhat limp. She felt herself beginning to heat up as they entered the atmospere, the planet's gravity drawing them in so quickly that flames erupted around her.

_/Careful, Xero, you're entering too fast,/ _Maximus warned, _/Slow down./_

_/Can't...not enough...power.../ _she replied tiredly.

Her visuals flickered in and out as a feeling of great exhaustion overcame her.

_/Xero, I'm burning up in here.../_ Dancer said in a worried voice.

Xero steeled herself. None of them had the energy left to complete the grueling transformation into pods. They would be forced to crash land in their vehical forms, which were still better than their robot forms. Less damage would be sustained.

_/I'm sorry...Dancer...but I can't...pull up./_

There was silence from both of her teammates as the trio finally came through the atmosphere. Xero was suddenly given over to the horrific sensation of freefall as Earth's gravity pulled them down to the surface. To weak to resist and too tired to care, she plummeted along with her comrades.

They struck the earth with a gigantic crash followed by a loud boom. Maximus had managed to detatch himself so as not to be crushed under the combined weight of the femmes and had landed a few yards away. Xero's visual screen lit up with warnings as the dust settled around her. The creaking of metal rang out over the empty expanse as the transformers finished settling into their crash positions.

Silence suddenly reigned. Xero felt the emptiness of stasis threatening to overwhelm her again.

Maximus's voice came weakly through their comm.

_/I'm picking up Autobot energy signals. Two of them./_

Xero felt a sense of relief sweep through her. They were saved. She struggled to stay online long enough to see who was coming to their aid, though her processor told her to drop back into stasis. Her sensors told her that Dancer was much in the same state. Maximus, the largest of them, had the most endurance and was the most alert. With a groan, both of vocals and gears, he managed to shift back to robot form.

_/I'll converse with them. Try to stay awake for a little while longer, though./_

Xero gave a small, affirmative beep. Her visuals displayed a pair of dust clouds at the same distance as the autobot signals. The seconds dragged by like hours as the rescuers approached the crashed trio. Xero's visuals flickered in and out of focus as warnings scrolled across the screen. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, two cybertronian figures stepped out of the dust cloud, which was now close enough to blow over Xero and her companions. She watched as the two mechs, one large with the colors blue and red painted on his plating, the other smaller and neon yellow, approached them cautiously. Maximus was on one knee, unable to stand properly. He had managed to position himself protectively in front of Xero and now watched the approach of the two autobots. The larger mech stepped up to Maximus and placed a servo on his shoulder.

"Welcome to Earth, my brother."

The newcomers' processors immedietely connected to Earth's World Wide Web in order to determine what language they had just heard. Once they had idenified it as English, Maximus replied.

"Thank you, sir," he bowed his head respectfully.

Xero had recognized Optimus's deep vocals as soon as her audio receptors had picked them up. She had served under Optimus for a long time, and was abe to recognize him without trouble.

"I recognize your face, my friend. Remind me of your designation," Optimus regarded Maximus with his wise optics.

"Designation: Maximus. Squad: Alpha. Commander: Xero," Maximus rattled off, stellar cycles of training having made the list habitual.

Recognition flashed through Optimus's optics. He exchanged glances with his companion.

"You mean to say that you two are the survivors of team Alpha?" the smaller mech asked.

"Three, sir. The smallest is not visible," Maximus rumbled, "But, yes, we are."

It was obvious that both Optimus and the other mech were brimming with questions, however, they had taken note of their comrades' injuries.

"You faced a fearsome foe," Optimus observed, looking at Xero, who even in vehical form, was obviously the most damaged, "What is your designation, soldier? I do not recognize this vehical," he adressed Xero.

"Designation...Xero..." Xero's vocals were full of static.

The yellow mech moved quickly from Optimus's side to Xero's where he began scanning for the extensiveness of the damage.

"You mentioned a third," he said as he worked.

With a collosal effort, Xero opened her hanger doors, revealing Dancer. The small femme blinked her headlights tiredly.

"Ah, Dancer," Optimus said, a hint of mirth barely detectable in his vocals, "Yes, I recall your unique vehical form."

Dancer blinked her headlights again in affirmation. Optimus returned his attention to Maximus.

"What happened?"

Maximus was obviously on his last legs, despite his legendary endurance.

"With all due respect, sir," he replied heavily, "It be much appreciated if we could rest before that question is answered."

Optimus nodded.

"Of course. My apologies, brother. First, you need rest and healing."

Xero felt the yellow mech, apparently the medic, begin repairing her. She gave a relieved exhalation of exhaust before allowing oblivion to overtake her.


	4. Keller Robotics

Jackie climbed out of the car, staring around through her sunglasses. They were in the parking lot of Keller Robotics, one of the leading labs of motor vehical and robot technology. Jackie was there for a tour with her brother, Ryan. Ryan had gotten a job at a branch of Keller that dealt with robotics especially. His superiors had invited him to come to the main branch for a tour, telling him to bring Jackie along if he wanted to.

Ryan stepped around from the driver's side, spinning his key ring around his index finger. He grinned at Jackie before looking up at the building.

"This is the company your big bro works for. Pretty cool, huh?"

Jackie nodded.

"Yeah."

"I've never been in the main building. But I've heard it's nice. I'm hoping they'll let us back to see some cool stuff since I've got worker clearance," Ryan pocketed his keys and slipped his nametag lanyard over his head.

They set off across the parking lot, walking side by side. Jackie looked up at the impressive, white building that towered in front of her. The word 'Keller' was emblazoned on the side in silver letters, fit together to resemble machinery. She smiled slightly at this.

They entered the lobby through the glass double doors, both shivering slightly as they took note of the temperature change. Ryan walked confidently up to the front desk. He leaned over it slightly to speak to the receptionist, a woman who appeared to be about his age. He smiled somewhat flirtateously as he talked, explaining that he was expected. The receptionist smiled back and began typing on her keyboard, looking up his appointment. Jackie nearly sniggered as Ryan continued to watch the woman. She reached over and elbowed him, simultaneously pushing her sunglasses up so that they rested atop her head. Ryan glanced back at her and waggled his eye brows, making her laugh quietly. The receptionist found their appointment rather quickly. Jackie was impressed, normally it took receptionists much longer. Maybe the woman was showing off for Ryan. She directed them to a door on the far side of the lobby on which the words 'Staff Only' were emblazoned. Ryan winked and thanked her before motioning for Jackie to follow him.

The siblings stepped through the door, entering an air conditioned area that was much cooler than the already air-conditioned lobby. Jackie shivered. Ryan let out a low whistle. He had obviously noted the second temperature change as well. Jackie followed him down the hallway, her tennis shoes squeaking against the shining white floor. Blinding white light reflected off equally white walls. Jackie received the distinct impression of a hospital. She noticed that there were very few doors in the hallway. Those that were visible were, of course, painted white. Jackie felt a small smirk creep onto her face. She felt as though she were in an insane asylum, being led to her room, where a straight jacket undoubtedly waited. She glanced over at Ryan. He walked easily, a smile on his face. Obviously he was not put off by the sterility of the facility. Honestly, Jackie thought nothing short of the end of the world could put him off.

She stared at the door at the end of the long hall, not really seeing it. A soft smile crept onto her face. It had been Ryan's easygoing nature that had pulled her through the deaths of her parents. He had been hit hard as well, but he had reconciled the grief more quickly. Jackie, on the other hand, had fallen into a deep depression. She had sealed herself in her bedroom, refusing to eat, crying herself to sleep. Ryan had given her some time to herself. Then, when he deemed that she had been given enough time to wallow in self-pity, he had forced her out of her room. He had threatened to feed her intraveneously if she did not eat on her own. Jackie had reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled out of her self-induced stupor. Ryan had forced her back into life, taking her to movies, out shopping, out racing, and even to a gaming convention in order to make her to interact with numerous people. Despite herself, Jackie found that she enjoyed rejoining society. It gave her a reason to smile, even if at first it was a false smile. It quickly became true, due to the infectiousness of Ryan's own smile.

The sudden opening of the door at the end of the hall brought Jackie's thoughts to a stop. A nondescript woman in a lab coat made her way toward them, holding a clipboard under one arm, her heels clicking against the white floor. She smiled pleasently, glancing down at the clipboard.

"Ryan Smith?" she asked in a voice that was as equally pleasent as her smile.

"That's me," Ryan said, grinning at their tour guide.

She nodded to him and looked over at Jackie.

"And Jaquline?"

"Jackie," the brown haired girl automatically corrected.

"Right," the woman continued on with her faux friendly smile.

She turned away from Jackie, dismissing her in favor of the obviously older Ryan. Her body language suggested that she had no time for Jackie, and that the younger female was merely a burden added to an already tedious ordeal. The teen rolled her eyes. Ryan caught the action and his lips quirked slightly. Her reactions to people always amused him.

"My name is Amy, and I'll be your guide. Now, if you'll follow me, we'll begin our tour of the Keller Company Main Plant," Amy's voice was pitched too high and grated on Jackie's ears.

_Great, and I have to listen to her for the next hour,_ Jackie thought, pushing her dyed red bangs out of her eye.

The tour guide led them down the hall to the door through which she had come.

"Here, at Keller Robotics, we strive for the best quality in the latest robotic technology," she began her monologue.

The Smith siblings were led onto a walkway that overlooked a series of labs. In each lab, a different prototype was in varying stages of planning, creation, or testing. Jackie tuned out Amy's annoying voice and pressed her hands against the glass that surrounded the walkway. She marvelled at the mechanical arms, data chips, defense systems, and other technological things being created. A tug on the back of her t-shirt alerted her that the tour was moving on. Ryan grinned at her, having been the one to pull her shirt.

"Pretty cool, huh?" he waggled his eyebrows.

Jackie smiled.

"Yeah. Is that what you'll be doing?"

"Sort of. These guys are the creators who make the prototypes and test them. I make them after they're a surefire product. Get what I'm saying?"

Jackie nodded as they exited the catwalk and continued the tour.

Within the next half hour, Jackie had determined that Ryan was the only one who was actually glad to be on the tour. While Jackie thought robots and machines were cool, she would have much rather gone on a tour of an antique vehical museam. Planes, motercycles, and cars were more of her thing when it came to mechanics. As for Amy, the youngest Smith sibling got the distinct impression of someone who had drunk lemon juice straight from the bottle. Her high-pitched voice and faux smile made Jackie want to plug her ears and close her eyes. Seeking escape from the annoying tour guide and the blinding whiteness of the labs and halls through which they walked, she requested to go to the bathroom.

Amy shot her an annoyed look but gave her directions to the nearest restroom. Jackie walked quickly down the hall, her shoes squeaking, and turned down the next intersecting corridor. There, she slowed and took her time, strolling leisurely beneath the bright white light. According to Amy, the nearest bathroom was at the end of the hall that Jackie was in. Since she did not need to go nearly as bad as she had pretended to, she paused to peek into the different rooms that lined the hall, hoping the waste enough time for the tour to end in her absence. Most were storage rooms, she found. Others were nondescript offices. One however, was a lab. Jackie stopped to stare through the cracked door. This room did not fit in with its bretheren. It had obviously once been a storage room that, sometime in its history, had been converted into a labratory. The room itself was white, like everything else at Keller. However, unlike the other labratories, its walls were covered in posters of mathematical equations and famous scientists. Curious, she dared to open the door all the way and step through.

Beakers and other lab equipment lined the counters that dominated the room. Most of the beakers and glass containers were empty in the quiet room. What had caught Jackie's attention, however, was the table on the far side of the room. On it sat a tray surrounded by numerous fluids of varying colors. Jackie tiptoed to the table to get a better look, awareness that she should not be in the room warring with a strange draw toward whatever was on the tray. As she neared, she saw what appeared to be a fragment of rock.

As if on its own accord, her hand stretched out toward the fragment. It seemed to call out to her, asking her to relenquish her willpower and give in to its wishes.

Jackie's fingers grazed the rock.

With a soft cry, she jerked her hand back, staring at the cut that should not have been made in the flesh of her fingertip. She felt as if she had been electrocuted. Her hand and arm tingled, the sensation racing up to her shoulder before disappearing. She stared at the fragment in shock as it glowed blue, the sudden light racing across heiroglyphs that suddenly appeared on the surface. Then, as abruptly as the blue light had appeared, the rock gave a shudder and the light turned red. Then, it disappeared and the fragment sat as it had been when she had walked in.

Still staring at the rock, Jackie stumbled back. Then she turned and fled the room as quickly as she could.


	5. Fates Intertwine

**I want to apologize for the slow start. I've got a lot of characters that I'm trying to introduce before we get the plot rolling, but I promise you, it's about to take off, really!**

**Please R&R!**

* * *

Elizabeth sat in her garage, wearing her stained clothing, her grubby hands holding a manual of jet components. While she knew that she would never get her hands on a jet to tinker with, the manual was still interesting, and she found it engaging. Black fingerprints marked the edges of the pages, left by her own greasy fingers. For a mechanic, however, this was unsurprising.

The garage door was open, allowing the sunlight to partially shine in and the summer breeze to bring the fresh smells of nature through the doorway. The blonde girl sighed contentedly. It was a perfect day. The forecast was clear, the temperature in the high seventies. She had nothing better to do. School had let out just a week earlier and she had a whole summer of nothing but tinkering and repairing ahead. A smile crept onto her face as she turned the page. Nothing could ruin this day.

Elizabeth looked up when the sound of a motor reached her ears. A red motorcycle rolled into the driveway, its engine coughing in a manner that made the mechanic wince. The rider, a female wearing a black helmet, brought it to a stop just inside the garage and shut the motor off. She put the kickstand down before swinging one leg over and dismounting. She turned and took a few steps toward Elizabeth, her black combat boots clunking over the cement, before removing her helmet.

The girl appeared to be around Elizabeth's age. Her light brown hair was straight and cut in layers, falling to the base of her neck. Her bangs, which were dyed red and swept off to the side, hung just above her green eyes. She wore torn jeans and a black t-shirt under a black leather jacket. The girl shifted her helmet down so that it was cradled under one arm. With her other hand, she drew her fingers through her hair.

"You Lizzy Woods?" she asked in a tired voice.

Elizabeth stood, taking note of the bags beneath the other girl's eyes, and dropped her manual back into her empty seat.

"Yeah, that's me. What's up?"

The girl held out her hand.

"Jackie Smith. I've got motorcycle problems. Normally, I'd fix it myself, but I'm off my game," she bit back a yawn.

"You sick?" Elizabeth asked, shaking her hand, simultaneously thinking that this may be a mistake if Jackie was sick.

"Nah, just not sleeping well. My big brother told me that he didn't trust me with a wrench right now and that I should have someone else do it," she drew her hand back to stifle another yawn, "I went down to the mechanic, but some guy named Dean told me that I should come see you instead since they were busy."

Elizabeth smiled.

_Leave it to dad. He keeps trying to give me business, but I don't charge...even though he tells me I should._

"Alright then. You know what's up with the engine?"

"Nope, haven't looked at it."

Elizabeth nodded and stepped past Jackie to take a look. The other girl half-turned to watch, stifling yet another yawn. Then she looked down at her hand as if something had caught her eye. She muttered something under her breath before speaking up.

"Hey, I don't wanna bug you, but do you have any bandaids?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth moved to her messy worktable and began to pick through the mess, looking for the necessary tools, "Uh, go into the house, there's a bathroom right off the livingroom, through the kitchen."

"Thanks."

Jackie left the mechanic in the garage and entered the house, dropping her helmet in Elizabeth's chair on her way in. She stepped through the door into a small but clean kitchen. A refrigerator hummed in one corner and a stove was set against the wall. One one of the counters, a microwave sat, displaying the time on a digital clock. Jackie moved through the kitchen into the living room. The carpeted room housed a TV, two couches and an armchair. All of the furniture was worn with age and usage and filled up the small room almost to proximity.

Jackie barely took in any of these details as she walked quickly into the bathroom. Paying no mind to the decor or placement of objects, she opened the cabinet below the sink. At the forefront, sat a box of bandaids. She sighed in relief and pulled the box out, setting it on the sink. She then unwrapped the current bandaid that was tightly bound around her first finger. A dark red stain indicated where she had bled through the bandage, rendering it useless. She cursed under her breath as she dropped the soiled bandaid into the trash can next to the sink. It had been two days since she had gone on the Keller tour, and still the cut was bleeding.

The young woman carefully replaced the old bandaid with the new one. A small stream of blood had leaked down her finger as she struggled the wrap the new bandage. She absentmindedly wiped it away with the thumb of her opposite hand. Then she turned off the light and vacated the bathroom, unwilling to overstay her welcome in a stranger's home.

When Jackie returned to the garage, she found that Elizabeth was already poking, prodding, and fixing the engine of the red motorcycle. The blonde girl looked up as Jackie stepped back into the garage, pulling the door shut behind her. Elizabeth smiled and wiped the back of her hand over her forehead, leaving a trail of grease over her face.

"You're lucky. A loose wire's a pretty easy fix. I'm just about done."

With that, she stuck her bare fingers into the engine and finished correcting the problem. Then she checked the engine and cleaned up her tools.

"Did't take long at all," Jackie observed, "How much you want?"

"Huh? Oh! I don't want money! I do this for fun," Elizabeth replied as she placed her tools back on the messy worktable.

Jackie looked at her skeptically, but was too tired to push it any further.

"Thanks, then," she stuck out her hand, the one without the bandaid, "I might be back again."

Elizabeth shook her hand again, smiling.

"That's fine. I hope it runs for a good while, though."

As their hands connected, Elizabeth recieved a strange electrifying feeling, causing her to jump. Jackie blinked in surprise, releasing her hand.

"Sorry, must have shocked you."

"It's fine..." Elizabeth looked down at her hand, not seeing the blood that had been smeared there by Jackie's thumb, as it was covered in grease and grime.

Jackie retrieved her helmet, weariness taking over again.

"Thanks for the fix," she said tiredly.

"No problem," Elzabeth looked at her worridly, "Not that I'm trying to rush you off or anything, but you should go get some sleep, you don't look so good."

Jackie nodded.

"I don't feel so good," she pulled her helmet on over her brown hair, "See ya around."

"Yep, later."

Elizabeth watched as the other girl started her now fully-functioning engine, made a tight turn within the garage, and roared off down the street. She clenched her hand and unclenched it, remembering the strange shock the Jackie had given her. The she shrugged and turned back to her chair. She had a manual to read.


	6. A Bond

**Here we introduce one of my personal favorite characters. You just have to love him, his personality is adorable. Hope you have fun reading!**

* * *

Rachel woke up shivering, chilled by an icey cold that she did not truely feel. It was a phantom cold, like nothing she had ever felt before. It was as if she were experiancing it from within. The teeth chattering, artic cold permeated her dreams, filling them to the point that she had woken up with numb, blue lips. For three nights she had curled up under numerous blankets, trying to warm herself, but to no avail. The cold and darkness remained in her dreams, allowing for nothing else.

She tried to make sense of this strange phenomena, but she could not. The only thing she knew was that it was connected to the fragment she had collected. The dreams had begun after she had cut herself on it. The cut still had not closed, and it bled heavily enough to soak through every bandaid she wore. She was torn between seeking medical advice and continuing to observe the cut for scientific purposes. Thus far it had shown no signs of infection, only profuse bleeding.

Tired and shivering, Rachel gave up on her deducting and rolled over to attempt to go back to sleep. As her eyes fluttered shut, she experianced the most peculiar sensation of something brushing against her subconscious.

She sat bolt upright, the blanket piling on top of her legs. Never before had she felt such a thing. It was almost as if pressure were being exerted on her mind. She stared at the opposite wall, unable to see it without her glasses, her eyes wide and fearful. At nearly twenty years of age, an intern to her scientist father, she had absolutely no idea as to how to deal with the situation at hand. The pressure persisted as she sat, shocked, building within her mind until it caused her to flinch. Then, with all the force of a dam bursting, the pressure broke and a great forced pushed into her mind. Emotions that were not hers flooded through her, causing her to cry out.

First and foremost among the emotions was confusion. Images flashed behind Rachel's eyes, images that made no sense to her. She saw a labratory, robotic beings, the face of one such being, the surface of an unrecognizable planet stretching out before her, a flurry of snow, then the images were stymied as whatever was in her mind regained control. The confusion remained, but was reeled in and pressed down.

Slowly, carefully, the other presence reached out, like a person who is learning how to do something new. It brushed over her memories, going through her mind as if it were going through a file cabinet. She felt a flash of excitement from it when it discovered her fondness for science. The presence gently caressed her subconscious with its own, sensing her fear and fragility. It moved slowly and cautiously as it scoped out what made her Rachel Keller.

Rachel sat on her bed, frozen in fear and confusion. She did not know what to make of this thing that was obviously inside her head. She did not fear the creature itself, for it seemed to eminate nothing but goodness, but the link between them. How easily it explored her very being. As it sensed this fear, however, it seemed to gently gather her up, almost in an embrace. It bore her no ill will. She sensed it straining to relay this impression to her, as unaccustomed to this strange bond as she was.

As the calm, comforting feelings coming from the other end of the bond began to work over her, Rachel began to attempt to extend her own mind to do as the other had. The being welcomed her with open arms, coaxing her into its own mind.

This creature, for it was not human, was ancient. She sensed centuries of knowledge and wisdom stored within the recesses of its mind. At first, she was overwhelmed. Then, the creature stepped in and slowed the flow of information as it had before. It guided her through its memories, selecting those that would help her better understand what it was.

It, she first discovered, was a he. He gently led her through memories and images of experiments, friends, a home, flight, and, finally, a mission. Through all of this, Rachel learned that he was an alien robotic being who transformed into a craft that possessed aerospace travel capabilities. He had been a scientist on a distant planet, working alongside a counterpart who was his dearest friend. She saw images of other robotic beings of various shapes, sizes, genders, and builds, each of whom he had known as friends or aquaintences. Her memory tour ended when he revealed a mission he had embarked on with his friend. As the bond grew stronger through their mutual exploration, she was able to pick up some words from his mind. He and his friend, whose name was Starscream, had gone to planet Earth on an exploratory mission. Rachel saw dinosaurs roaming the face of the planet and gasped in surprise. She did not have long to fully comprehend this, as she was shown the final memory. He had entered an artic storm and lost control before crashing. Then everything went black.

There was a silence between them in which Rachel sensed him waiting for her to do or say something. Subconsciously, Rachel asked him a question, the most logical question she could think of.

_What is your name?_

He paused.

_I am called Skyfire. And you?_

_Rachel._

She sensed a surprising amount of content eminating from him at this simple discovery. He seemed to be very compassionate, posessing and kind and somewhat sweet disposition.

_Rachel..._he seemed to be testing her name, _I have never come across anyone of your species...I can see from your memories that yours is much like my own. Every one of you is different in your own way, but still fundimentally the same._

Skyfire was obviously fascinated by this. Rachel begain to think as he pondered within his own mind.

If he had crashed in the time of the dinosaurs, then he had been trapped in a frozen state for thousands, if not millions, of years. That would explain the unshakable cold she had been feeling. Somehow, for the past three days, the bond between them had formed and grown in power until one of them had sensed it and initiated communication.

Rachel stared at the cut on her finger, still wrapped in its bandaid. This had all started after she had cut herself on the fragment. Which meant that the fragment was the most logical explanation of how this strange bond had formed. However, that did not make sense. While the fragment was supposedly part of an alien artifact, it should not have been able to do anything on such a level as this.

Skyfire monitored this thought process before bringing his own mind to rest on the image of the fragment. He was silent as he looked first at that and then at the other images and memories from that point in time. Rachel sensed the cold calculation that was so common among scientists coming from him.

_You have come into contact with the Allspark_, he said at last, _the object of power that gave life to my kind. For centuries, we studied it, attempting to find the source of its power and the materials of its composition. However, we never came any closer to understanding it than we were when we had first begun. _

Rachel found herself nodding. She stopped, knowing that he could not see the action.

Skyfire gently touched her mind again.

_You should rest. You have experienced much in a short time and your mind could become overwhelmed. You are still young in the views of both our races and need sleep_, she sensed that this word was foreign to him, picked up from her mind.

_Alright..._she paused, _Will this...connection still be here when I wake up?_

Skyfire did not reply right away.

_I honestly do not know. However, it is likely, and...I hope so._

Rachel laid down, feeling a small smile on her face. Skyfire's mind enveloped hers in a warm embrace, coaxing her into sleep. Rachel gave in to his request that she rest, feeling as though some sort of gaurdian angel were watching over her as she slept.


End file.
